Art & Design Inside Story In the master bedroom, the vintage lacquered sliding doors are from Steinitz; the armchair by Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti was upholstered in a J Robert Scott fabric; the rug is from Alfombras Peña in Madrid The guest bedroom was painted in a custom colour by Atelier Camuset; the headboard was made by Tapissier Seigneur and upholstered in a Thorp of London fabric The dining room chairs are covered in Le Manach fabric, and the sofa in Dedar’s Trama Paglia The decorating process of the Paris apartment was fairly organic. Some items were bought with a definite notion of where they would be placed, like the Jean Hélion painting in the living room and the two Art Nouveau armchairs in the family room. Others were acquired simply because they caught Pinto’s eye. A case in point is the pair of Eiffel Tower-shaped sculptures that ended up being used as plant stands in the entry hall. “We don’t know where everything is going to go at the beginning, but things find their place as if by magic,” marvels Pinto. There was, however, a certain method to creating the mix. The art collection focuses mainly on emblematic figures of the post–World War II era, and there was an insistence on integrating works in different media. “That makes things more complex and visually interesting,” notes Pietro Scaglione, the interior designer who oversaw the project. At times, certain elements of the decor were directly inspired by the art. The animal prints in the living room, for instance, are an obvious nod to the collection of African PHOTOS JACQUES PEPION 58 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
The TV room sofa was upholstered by Tapissier Seigneur in Andro fabric by Zimmer + Rohde sculpture. At others, the goal was to create a deliberate dissonance. Pinto is keen to point out that not everything has to be of great value. The two sconces on either side of the Picasso painting above the fireplace were bought for a song at a Paris flea market. “They were lying on the ground and looked like nothing until they were regilded,” notes Scaglione. The Charlotte Perriand bench, meanwhile, was initially earmarked for the client’s villa on Ibiza. “I told him his gardener there wouldn’t understand its value and would chop it up for firewood,” he says. Not everything initially acquired for the Parisian flat made the cut either. Two truckloads of furniture and objects ended up being placed in storage. “They’ll be for our client’s next house,” says Pinto matter- of-factly. She recalls the first dinner party her client held once the installation was complete. “All the guests said, ‘It’s incredible. Everything looks like it’s been here forever,’ ” she recalls. “For me, that was quite a compliment. Our goal is always to create homes that feel anything but brand-new.” • CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 59
